D
Dashes
Refer to punctuation.
Dates
Spell out names of months and days in text, unless there are space constraints.
- Classes begin on Monday, September 14.
For dates, use cardinal numbers.
- May 10; September 1, 2026
- Not May 10th; September 1st, 2026
When using month, day, year format, use commas before and after the year.
- The meeting on June 4, 2026, will be held in the Paramount Center.
When using only month and year, no comma is needed after the month.
- The building will open in September 2027.
For academic years, use an en dash and complete numbers for both years.
- 2026-2027
Deans
There are four academic deans: School of Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies; School of Communication; School of Film, Television, and Media Arts; and Graduate and Professional Studies.
Decades
When noting decades, use figures. Note that there is no apostrophe between the year and the s.
- the ’70s; the 1980s
Decision-Making
Dining Services
Backstage (café at 2 Boylston Place)
Common’s Café and C-Store (both located at Piano Row)
Dining Center (122–124 Boylston Street)
Lion’s Den (25 Boylston Place)
Paramount Café (located at Paramount Center)
Directions and Regions
Lowercase north, west, etc. when they refer to compass direction.
- A strong wind blew in from the north.
Capitalize them when they refer to specific regions of the United States.
- East Coast; Midwest; the North; Pacific Northwest; the South; West Coast; Southern California